Tasting Sessions: Chocolate
Botanical name ~ Theobroma Cacao ~ “Food of the Gods”
Meet the Cocoa Bean
Cocoa beans grow in pods on cocoa trees, which flourish in Africa, South America, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Indonesia. The pods look like large almond-shaped squash and are roughly the size of footballs. Ranging in color from lemon yellow to green, orange, red and purple, they contain a sweet white pulp, as well as 35 to 40 small beans. It takes about 400 of these beans to make just one pound of chocolate! Despite the wide variety of pods, every cocoa tree and bean falls into one of the three varieties: Forastero – The least expensive, hardiest and most common type of bean which are very bitter. With the addition of sugar, they form the base for most inexpensive chocolate. Criollo – The most expensive, delicate, and rare type of bean. Trinitario – The bean which is a hybrid of forasteros and criollos. Since the time of the Aztecs and Mayans, most chocolate has been made from a blend of all three types of beans. In fact, unless the package says otherwise, you can assume that a chocolate product is a blend, or cuvee. Typically, cuvee bars are made primarily from the cheap, “bulk” forasteros, with the more expensive “flavor” criollo and trinitario beans added in much smaller quantities. Nonetheless, in recent years, many upscale and boutique companies have moved to produce chocolate using only one type of bean (single variety chocolate), or beans from a single region or country (single origin). Although these upscale and boutique companies have become trendy, they are not necessarily superior to blended bars – they’re just different. Overall, if you prefer a mellower, balanced flavor choose a cuvee or blend of chocolate. If, on the other hand, you like your chocolate intense and deep in flavor, try a single origin or single variety bar.
From Bean to Bar
In their natural form, cocoa beans neither look nor taste like chocolate. Each one consists of a hard hull or kernel containing cocoa nibs (brown solids that give chocolate its color and flavor) and cocoa butter. The cocoa butter is a fat whose contact fluctuates with the seasons, but ranges from about 46-61% of the bean. There is no sugar in a cocoa bean. First, the pods are picked and opened. Then the sees and sugary pulp are removed and covered with leaves. During a 2-6 day fermentation period, the sugars in the pulp help reduce the acidity of the beans and develop their flavor and color. Under-fermenting can preserve too much undesirable acidic flavor, while over-fermenting can make the beans taste like rotten fruit. Once fermented, the beans are dried in the sun for about 5 days before being sorted and shipped.
At the factory, the now smaller and darker beans are roasted for between 30 minutes to 2 hours to heighten their flavor. Under-roasting results in a lack of flavor, while overroasting can cause bitterness (just like over-roasting nuts in your oven.) Often times mediocre beans are roasted for a longer period of time since roasting can disguise their lackluster flavors.) Next the outer skins are removed and the nibs are broken down with stones or disks. The heat from this process liquefies the nibs, causing them to form a thick, dark brown paste called chocolate liquor. This liquor is then further refined by rollers, which decrease the size of its particles. If the pure chocolate liquor is placed in molds, it becomes unsweetened, or baking chocolate (when all of the remaining cocoa butter is extracted from the liquor, unsweetened cocoa powder is produced.) To make eating chocolate, manufacturers add sugar and vanilla (or artificial vanillin) to the chocolate liquor. Next, the mixture is refined and conched (vigorously whipped) for anywhere from 4 hours to several days to remove excess moisture and acid, and to achieve a smooth texture. Too much conching can cause blandness, while too little conching can leave the chocolate overly acidic. Finally, additional cocoa butter and an emulsifier, such as the soy by product, lecithin, are added to render the chocolate smooth and shiny. The chocolate is then tempered (warmed, stirred, and cooled for a smooth, glossy, crisp finish), molded, fully cooled, and wrapped. Voila – chocolate!
Four Types of Chocolate
Bittersweet chocolate contains the least sugar. Those that love black coffee will most likely flock to bittersweet chocolate. Semisweet chocolate contains a little more sugar than bittersweet. Those who prefer a slightly softer bite will generally prefer semisweet chocolate. Mild chocolate, the mildest in flavor, possesses even more sugar than semisweet (as well as milk by-products). White chocolate, since it does not contain chocolate liquor or cocoa solids (the ground nibs that lend chocolate its color and flavor), is not really chocolate at all. It’s a mixture of milk, sugar, vanilla, an emulsifier, and cocoa butter or vegetable fat. When shopping for white chocolate, look for an ivory color, which reveals the use of cocoa butter, rather than less expensive vegetable fat.
Deciphering the Label
You can determine a bit about a chocolate bar’s pedigree by reading the wrapper. First the quality of a bar depends largely on the quality of the beans from which it was produced. Criollos and trinitarios are generally superior to forasteros, mostly because they are less bitter. Look for either of those terms, or arriba (the only superior quality forasteros bean) on the label. Also look for information about where the beans grew, ideally the specific regions, or even particular estates or plantations. A printed date of harvest or production is always a plus – although dark chocolate can be stored for up to a year, the quality definitely decreases as it ages. It’s also key that chocolatiers combine the beans with the right balance of natural ingredients. Look for natural vanilla, as opposed to vanillin, on the list of ingredients, and opt for products with 32-39 cocoa butter, which ensures a fluid texture. Even more importantly, consider the cacao (or cocoa) content. The higher the percentage, the more intense the cocoa flavor and bitter the bar – dark chocolate typically contains at least 35% cocoa content, but premium brands (such as Valrhona) produce bars with 70% or more. Another note – it’s difficult to mask the quality of the beans when the cacao content is high; therefore a high percentage usually means a good product. Mass-market bars generally don’t specify their cocoa content; but you can assume that it will be low. If a bar has a higher cocoa content, like Lindt’s “Excellence Dark (at 85%), it will have smaller quantities of other ingredients, such as sugar, and will taste quite bitter.
Learn Your Palate
1. Examine the chocolate and describe its appearance. Keep in mind that color, patterning, and share aren’t significant. Instead, ask yourself whether the bar is glossy and dry – both signs demonstrating proper tempering technique. Now break a piece of the chocolate in two – a product that breaks cleanly has also been well tempered. 2. Rub a sample between your fingers, placing it in front of your nose and covering it with your other hand. Close your eyes, inhale a few seconds and note the aroma. 3. Place the chocolate on your tongue, close your eyes, and let the chocolate melt for about 30 seconds – don’t bite down though. Spread the chocolate all over your tongue and the roof of your mouth. Consider its flavor and texture (or mouthfeel). 4. Bite down on the chocolate and chew a few times. Keep your eyes closed and determine how the flavor has changed. Has it gotten stronger, sweeter, more flavorful, more bitter? What flavor notes do you detect? Did the texture change? 5. Swallow the chocolate and reflect on its finish (or aftertaste). Is it long or short, meaning do the flavors dissipate quickly or last for a while in your mouth? (Note: A long finish is considered desirable). What flavors remain? 6. Do you like the chocolate?
Chocolate Tasting Grid
Chocolate Name
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Appearance
Aroma
Flavor
Texture
Finish
Like/Dislike?